Soldier charged with firing gunshots at York home

YORK — A soldier with the U.S. Army has been charged with opening fire at his York County residence during an incident last week.

York-Poquoson deputies arrested 44-year-old Eugene Washington on Jan. 27 after an argument with two women at his home escalated.

Washington has been charged with assault and battery, abduction, discharging a firearm in a public place, reckless handling of a firearm and two counts of brandishing a firearm.

The incident occurred on Boucher Drive off Lebanon Church Road near the Newport News City line. York-Poquoson Sheriff's Lt. Dennis Ivey Jr. said deputies responded to the area after someone called to report hearing gunshots.

Ivey said Washington had been arguing with two women when he went onto the deck outside his home and allegedly fired a gun. Ivey said an incident report didn't indicate how many shots had been fired or if the bullets struck anything. No one was injured, he said.

Mark Piggott, public affairs officer for Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, said the Station's security department initially responded to the home at a request of the Sheriff's Office due to the home's close proximity to the Station. Piggott said Washington is a soldier stationed at Fort Eustis.